On May 31, 1850, nine men gathered to begin planning a university that would serve the Northwest Territory. In 1853, the founders purchased a 379-acre tract of land on the shore of Lake Michigan 12 miles north of Chicago. They established a campus and developed the land near it, naming the surrounding town Evanston in honor of one of the University's founders, John Evans.
With a vast array of undergraduate, graduate and professional programs, Northwestern provides students at every level with hundreds of options to suit their personal academic goals.
With well over one hundred research institutes and centers associated with the university, its colleges and schools, and its medical facilities, you’re never far away from the next new discovery. Some of our most exciting coursework includes:
The mission of Northwestern Career Advancement (NCA) is to foster excellence in career development, preparation, and professional opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and alumni by providing comprehensive services and programming and by promoting strong partnerships with employers, academic departments, and the university community.
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2019. By rating institutions on a scale from 1 to 5, on multiple studies-related questions, we found the top educators in the world.
Learn more about the Global Student Satisfaction AwardsAll undergraduate students have the option to live in our residence halls, residential colleges, residential communities, and special-interest housing. We have 13 traditional residence halls on campus, ranging from residences with as few as 25 students to larger residences with more than 500.
As some of the busiest buildings on campus, the libraries serve over 1 million visitors annually. They come for immense and varied collections, databases and electronic journals, governmental information and more. Northwestern’s Libraries rank 12th among private universities in the United States.
The IT Service Catalog defines and categorizes information technology services provided to the Northwestern community. The goal is to allow faculty, staff, and students to quickly identify and order services and to enhance understanding of what each service provides. A general description is provided for each service along with a link to order.
The Health Service on both the Chicago and Evanston campuses provide general medical and women's health appointments with physicians or nurse practitioners, as well as immunizations, sports medicine, laboratory services, STD testing and more.
A Quintessential College Town
On the Evanston campus, you'll find beaches, shops, coffee houses, restaurants, and theaters just down the street from classrooms, labs and lecture halls.
A Global City
Located in the bustling Streeterville neighborhood, our Chicago campus is close to attractions such as the Magnificent Mile, the Museum of Contemporary Art and John Hancock Center.
Men's Sports
Northwestern University is accredited by Higher Learning Commission.
My study experience has been an emotional rollercoaster. A lot of disappointments but also a lot of joy.
I was able to gain a lot of opportunities and grants to travel as well as hands-on knowledge in the field.
